The Itch
by teamWilson
Summary: Thanksgiving had only scratched the surface and Alicia once again found herself going to Peter in an attempt to work out some 'frustration'. What she didn't expect was to hear Peter voice some frustrations of his own. Peter/Alicia, takes place any time after 4x09. Originally a one-shot, now a multi-chapter fic!
1. Chapter 1

**The Good Wife: The Itch.**

_Summary: Thanksgiving had only scratched the surface and once again Alicia found herself going to Peter in an attempt to work out some 'frustration'. What she didn't expect was to hear Peter voice some frustrations of his own. One shot, Peter/Alicia, takes place any time after 4x09._

_A/N: This is my first story for The Good Wife! I'm fairly new to the fandom and although I started off simply assuming I would be a Will/Alicia shipper, that Peter just… Well, he doesn't give up does he? I've got to respect him for that. Not to mention the fact that every scene between the two of them is just charged with so much energy (sexual, emotional, what have you) I find myself looking forward to every moment of screen-time they have together.*Sigh* I don't even know what this show has done to my emotions… Team Peter, or Team Will, how does one choose? If I ever figure it out I'll let you know ;P_

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Climbing into the driver's side door of her sedan Alicia slammed the door shut in anger. Anger towards the case, anger towards the prosecutor, but mostly anger towards the judge who had nearly held her in contempt but instead agreed to drop the charge if Alicia excused herself from the defense table for the remainder of the trial.

Her blood was boiling by the time Diane and Will had finally ordered Alicia to call it a night and go home; telling her it was pointless for her to be charged when the case was so close to being over anyway. The last thing Alicia wanted to do was back down from a fight which she deemed worth fighting, but alas it was their names on the wall in their firm, not hers, so she really hadn't much choice in the matter anymore. An order was an order. So reluctantly she packed her briefcase up and headed out of the courthouse and towards home.

Thrumming her fingers along the steering wheel as she coasted down the freeway Alicia was still enraged about being thrown off the case. She muttered to herself the entire ride; not having the patience to even listen to the radio because it just might try and cheer her up and the last thing she wanted was to be cheered up. Heading towards the exit ramp for her apartment Alicia had a thought; Owen was at her place right now. She had asked him to stay with the kids the last couple days because this particular case had consumed her every waking moment for the past 72 hours and she didn't like leaving Zach and Grace alone for such long periods of time; especially considering they were on Christmas break and so didn't even have classes to keep them out of trouble for at least part of the day. Knowing full well that she wouldn't be able to just go home, relax and down a bottle of red wine without Owen nagging her with his version of twenty questions Alicia made a quick decision and changed lanes away from the exit and back onto the main highway.

She loved her brother dearly but he just didn't understand the stress she was under sometimes. He would try to offer simple solutions and quick fixes to her monumental problems and most of the time it just made her more angry. When he could see that trying to reason with her wasn't going to work he would often resort to teasing her, or trying to make her laugh in an attempt to lighten her mood and most nights it worked and she was glad to have somebody there for that. But tonight, it was the last thing she wanted.

Her brain on autopilot mode she made the forty minute drive out into the suburbs without a second thought. Her hands mindlessly guided the steering wheel towards her destination just as she had done countless times before; more frequently as of late if she was being honest with herself. In what seemed like only the blink of an eye she found herself pulling the car into Peter's driveway and with heavy sigh she put the car into park and killed the ignition as she stared up at what used to be their family home.

Her impromptu visits to Peter had become something of a regularity over the past few weeks since that dreadful Thanksgiving dinner with her mother.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't _all_ dreadful, but a majority of the evening before she had snuck off to the bathroom certainly was.

It was now more like a force of habit than anything; if she'd had a bad day, she would call him up and he would invite her to come over. It was easy, uncomplicated, exactly what she needed it to be. Peter didn't seem to mind either, most nights he would even leave the door unlocked just in case and sure enough she had shown up on more than one occasion and he was more than willing to oblige her.

Sex. That's all it was. At least, as far as Alicia was concerned. Half the nights she showed up there she hadn't even planned on it; again it was more like she was on autopilot. Every time was the same, she'd show up, he'd open a bottle of wine, and they rarely got through the first glass before they ended up on the sofa, the living room floor in front of the fireplace, or even that one time on the kitchen counter. Yeah, that had been a particularly _stressful _evening for Alicia. Then when all was said and done she would get up, get dressed, he'd kiss her goodnight and she would be gone. Occasionally they would talk beforehand about whatever it was that had been bothering her on that particular evening; Peter was easy to talk to about work problems because he understood them and could actually have intelligible conversations about them, as opposed to Owen's go-to response of _'you should just quit'_.

Climbing out of the car, the corner of Alicia's mouth twitched up into the smallest hint of a smile as she saw the kitchen light come on and Peter standing at the window offering her a quick wave. She made her way up the driveway with purposeful strides and let herself in the front door without bothering to knock.

"Hey" she heard him call from the kitchen as she slid out of her winter coat and tossed it over the staircase railing.

"Hi" she greeted him as she came to stand at the threshold of the kitchen; leaning against the open doorframe and watching him as he poured two glasses of her favourite red wine.

"Didn't think I'd see you tonight, you had that big case so I just figured-" he began but Alicia was quick to cut him off.

"I'm not on the case anymore. And no, I don't want to talk about" she emphasized with a shake of her head before making her way further into the kitchen.

"Okay" Peter accepted cautiously. "Wine?" he asked; offering the glass to her with a small smile.

"No"

"No?" Peter raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"No" she confirmed. "I don't want to talk, I don't want to drink" she said quickly before taking one final step closer and covering his mouth with hers.

The kiss was frantic, impatient, and devoid of any emotion and it took Peter a few seconds to even catch up to her rapid movements before their mouths finally got in sync; falling into a rhythm that actually had no rhythm to it at all, it was more like race against time; a battle of desperation they both fought to keep up with.

"Alicia, woah, wait" Peter finally spoke; breaking the kiss and pushing Alicia back gently by her shoulders to be able to look her in the eyes.

"What's wrong? Tell me" he gently pleaded.

"Peter?" she said in the calmest voice she could manage.

"Yes?"

"Shut up" she practically growled before finding his mouth again and tugging on his tie with skilled fingers; quickly loosening the knot and using it as leverage to bring him closer.

It seemed to have worked. At least for a few seconds as Peter seemed to be lost in a haze of ecstasy. He gripped her hips with both hands and quickly turned her so that she was backed up against the kitchen table and he was pressed up against her. With one sudden sweep he had her up on the table and she wasted no time in wrapping her legs around his middle in an effort to bring him closer still. Her hands made quick work of ridding him of his suit jacket and he groaned into her mouth as he felt her fingers tugging at his belt next.

"Mmmm, baby, wait" Peter mumbled against her lips before bringing his hands over top of hers in an effort to slow her progress with the belt.

"What?" Alicia practically snapped in response as she pulled back from the heated kiss.

"I just…" Peter sighed and Alicia stared at him in disbelief. She knew he was just as worked up as she was; given where here hands just were there was no playing shy now.

"What, Peter?" Alicia asked; mild annoyance evident in her tone.

"I don't know, I missed you, that's all" he shrugged before flashing her an adoring smile.

"Yeah, yeah, I missed you too, so let's go" came her quick response before her hands were back on his belt. He could tell the words meant nothing to her; a means to an end to get things moving again.

"Can we just…" Peter suddenly seemed frustrated with her as he gripped around her wrists and pulled her hands back again. "I said I missed you. Can't we just enjoy each other for a few minutes first?" he asked and she looked at him like he'd grown a second head.

"I was enjoying myself Peter… And by the looks of things you're not having such a bad time yourself" she stated matter-of-factly; crossing her arms across her chest.

"Well of course I want this" he sighed.

"So… what's the problem?" Alicia asked; her tone laced with sarcasm and annoyance.

"There's no problem" he quickly dismissed the notion. "I just, want to kiss you. Here…" he began as he placed a kiss on her jaw line. "And here" he continued; placing another kiss behind her ear. "And here" he mumbled against her throat as he gently sucked on the tender flesh where her neck met her collarbone. "And here" he whispered; pushing the collar of her shirt aside slightly to plant another kiss on the top of her shoulder.

He was taking his time with her. Wanting to re-commit every inch of her skin to memory, and Alicia was _so_ not in the mood right now.

"Peter, come on, what are you doing" she tried to make her tone sound light, almost teasing as she cupped his face and brought his mouth back to hers. "I want you, right now" she mumbled into his mouth. "Don't you want me too?" she asked before letting out a gentle moan into his mouth that she was sure would drive him over the edge; as it usually had in the past.

"I want…" Peter began as their desperate kiss deepened.

"Yeah?" Alicia encouraged him to continue; running her hands up and down his chest before bringing her fingers to the buttons on his shirt and popping open the first two.

"I want to make love to you Alicia" he admitted almost breathlessly.

"Okay" Alicia agreed all too quickly; not even acknowledging the words before tugging his shirt out of his pants and finally undoing his belt.

"In the bedroom" he mumbled against her lips; tongues still dueling for dominance. "Our bedroom Alicia"

The heated kiss seemed to hesitate on Alicia's end as her right eye opened and she raised a questioning brow at the request before quickly recovering from her obvious discomfort.

"Mmmm, Peter, let's not wait, come on" she tried to persuade him with another moan into his mouth.

The kiss died in an instant and it took Alicia a second to even realize they had even lost contact. She furrowed her brow and opened her eyes to seem him standing a foot or so back from her and simply staring.

"What are you doing?" she huffed at him; her sexual frustration brought to a whole new level she'd never thought possible before.

"I know what I'm doing, I want to know what the hell you're doing" he quickly fired back at her, and the anger in his tone was unmistakeable.

"Well I didn't think I had to paint you a picture here Peter" she scoffed.

"So, this is it for you?" he asked; shrugging his shoulders at her.

"What is?" she narrowed her eyes at him in confusion.

"This" he motioned between the two of them with a wave of his hand. "You come here, get what you need from me and you're out the door again, and then what? Back again two nights later and we start all over again?" his tone was accusatory and Alicia was still trying to play catch-up as to how they got from foreplay to fighting so quickly.

"I haven't exactly heard you complaining…" it was childish, and certainly not the response he was looking for, she knew that, but she was too flustered and angry to really care at the moment.

"Of course not, I barely have time to catch my breath before you're running out of here without so much as a 'call ya later'"

"What do you want from me Peter?" she growled at him; her voice raised louder than it had been with him for quite some time.

"You, Alicia!" His yelled just as loud. "I want you!"

A silence fell between them as Alicia simply stared at him in response; unsure of what she was even supposed to say to that and Peter hung his head and let out a heavy sigh before continuing; only much softer this time.

"Look, I'm not an idiot Alicia. I know when I'm being used; I know when you come to me because you've had a fight with your mother, or with Owen, or with _Will_" he explained and when she went to object to the latter part of his statement he raised a hand to silence her.

"Don't… Don't say it isn't true because I know it is. And yes, it pisses me off to know that he affects you that way but I try to just take solace in the fact that it's me you're coming to to express that anger rather than him. But Alicia, I can't be your sex slave for the rest of our lives. I love you, and I want all of you. I want you on your best days and I want you on your worst. I want to hold your feet in my lap after you've had a long day while some crappy movie plays in the background on the TV. I want to spend my Sunday morning's lying in bed with you. I want…" he paused for a beat before reaching out to take her hands in his. "I want my wife back"

"Peter, I…" she started to speak; though she had no idea what she was going to say next but thankfully he interrupted her once more.

"Look I know it's a lot and I don't expect you to give me an answer right now. God knows I have a lifetime of mistakes to make up for with you and the kids but Alicia I want to try. Just… think about it, okay?" he asked and she quickly tore her gaze away from him. Seeing him broken like this did hurt her but she had to be realistic and think to herself all the times she'd seen him like this before, and remember all the broken promises he's made in the past.

He swallowed the hard lump in his throat as he waited for a response that he soon realized wasn't going to come this easily and took a deep breath before continuing once more.

"These past few months have been… amazing. You by my side on the campaign, us having family dinners again, and you're smile… God Alicia it's been so long since I've seen you happy but lately I've been seeing it more and more; granted it's usually when one of us are complaining and cracking jokes about our mother's but…" he trailed off Alicia's lips twitched into the slightest hint of a smirk.

"See" he smiled at her before bringing his forehead to rest against hers. "I would do anything to see that smile every day Alicia. And I'm not expecting a miracle or your forgiveness overnight. I know I have a lot of work to put in, but I need you to know that I'm willing to put the work in, if you're willing to let me"

They remained in a comfortable silence as Alicia let his words sink in. After a few long moments had passed between them Alicia let her shoulders fall as she let out a short sigh and pushed herself off the kitchen table so she was standing on the floor again. Peter backed up a couple feet to give her some space but didn't once take his eyes off her. She remained fixed to her spot for a few more seconds before finally straightening her shoulders and bringing her gaze up to meet his. He flashed her just the slightest of smiles and she merely nodded in response before taking a few steps closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder and bringing her lips up to place a quick kiss on his cheek before turning away from him and heading out of the kitchen.

Buttoning up her coat and fishing her keys out of the pocket she came back to stand at the doorway to the kitchen where Peter remained in the spot she had left him. He was still watching her, but wasn't saying anything. He had said everything he needed to say for one night and didn't want to push any further; knowing she wasn't ready for it yet and for that she was grateful. She took one last look at him then gave him a small smile before offering her goodnight.

"I'll call you later, okay?" She asked and he merely nodded.

It was the most he could have asked for; and all he needed to hear from her tonight.

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_A/N 2: Well, that's it. I do imagine that at some point they're going to have this kind of conversation between the two of them. Peter is obviously still in love with her and I don't know how long she expects to just keep showing up and kissing him, sleeping with him, etc. until he starts to want more from her (not that I'm complaining here...). I for one will be waiting with baited breath to see if, when, and how this will all unfold. For now though I'm just enjoying the ride. Reviews would be greatly appreciated, as I mentioned this is my very first story for The Good Wife so please let me know what you think!_

_PS: If you're interested you can also check out my first Alicia/Peter fanvideo on youtube: watch?v=SqfHyQrCu20_

**note:** This site doesn't allow you to post links so I have to post it that way, just put youtubedotcom/ before the link code ;) Oh, and don't worry, my video are editing skills are much better than my writing ;P


	2. Chapter 2

**The Good Wife: The Itch**

**Chapter Two**

_A/N: Well, so many of you asked for a follow up on this piece and although I really wasn't planning on it, you guys are just too sweet and nice to me that I just can't say no… I hope you enjoy this!_

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Alicia quietly let herself into her apartment; not wanting to wake Zach or Grace at such a late hour. A smile had spread across her lips as she walked into the living room and saw Owen passed out on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn in his lap and movie credits playing quietly on the TV in the background. She considered for a moment waking him but dismissed the thought soon after and instead walked towards the hallway closet to grab him a blanket. Careful not to wake him Alicia draped the blanket over her brother and reached for the remote, turning off the television.

Leaving the family room she stopped briefly outside both Grace's room and then Zach's just to be sure they were in fact asleep and both were. She lingered at Zach's doorway a moment longer as she watched her son sleeping peacefully. He'd grown up so fast and she could hardly remember where all the time went. One day she was dropping him off for his first day of pre-school and the next it seemed he had his drivers permit.

He had apparently fallen asleep using his laptop because it was still sitting open on his bed next to his head on the pillow and Alicia smirked as she also saw his history textbook lying next to it. He had fallen asleep doing his homework on his break from school. _How sweet_, she thought to herself.

Still smiling, Alicia took a few steps closer to the bed and reached for the laptop to shut it closed when the movement caused the screen to come out of its sleep mode and Alicia froze at the sight. There on Zach's desktop background was a picture of her, Peter, Zach and Grace from Thanksgiving only a few weeks ago. The whole family; meddling mothers and brother included, had been in the photo, she remembers that. Zach had set up a timer on his web camera to take the photo which had the four of them in the middle sitting on the sofa while Owen, Veronica and Jackie stood behind them. Zach had cropped the photo so that it had just been the four of them, smiling towards the camera. Zach and Grace had been in the middle with a parent on either side of them each with an arm draped across the back of the sofa. She hadn't noticed the first time he showed her the full picture, but looking at now, zoomed in and focused only on the four of them she was able to notice so much more; like how Peter had his fingers just slightly covering hers on the back of the sofa, and how although he too was smiling, he wasn't looking at the camera, he was looking at her, with their children in between them. Even the smiles on the kid's faces were something she hadn't seen in such a long time and it reminded her of so many of their old family portraits they had taken over the years.

Finally bringing herself out of her reverie, Alicia gently closed the laptop shut and picked both it and the textbook off the bed and placed them on Zach's desk before taking one last look at her sleeping child and finally leaving the room to retire to her own.

After brushing her teeth and changing into her night clothes Alicia pulled back her comforter and crawled into bed. She sat up against the headboard with the bedside lamp still on beside her. She wasn't feeling tired yet and knew it would probably be a while before she could fall asleep. Looking at the table to her left she stared at the cordless phone sitting there next to the lamp and bit her lip.

_Should she call? Is it too late? What would she even say if he answered?_ Countless thoughts overcame her but after a few moments her initial instincts took over and she found herself reaching for the handset and pulling it off the cradle. She held the phone in her hand a moment longer; the sound of the dial tone the only noise throughout the entire house. She clutched the phone against her chest, closed her eyes and took a deep breath before pulling it back once more and finally letting her fingers glide over the keys, dialing the all-too-familiar number.

After the second empty ring had come and gone Alicia quickly had to wonder if she was doing the right thing. She closed her eyes and decided to give it just one more ring before she would take it as a sign that she needs to just sleep on this and call back another day.

"Hello?" Peter's sleepy voice came over the phone half way through the third ring and it startled Alicia slightly.

"Peter, hi. I'm sorry, am I calling too late?" She asked hesitantly, her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she awaited a response.

"No, no it's fine" he said through a yawn.

"You were sleeping, I'm sorry I shouldn't have-"

"Alicia, I said it's fine" Peter gently reaffirmed before she had a chance to hang up.

"Oh" she found herself shrugging, though she didn't know why, it's not like he could see her. Why had she suddenly become so nervous?

"I'm glad you called actually" Peter's soothing voice continued after a moment of brief silence. "I like to know that you've gotten home safe. How was the drive?"

"It was fine"

"Kids asleep?" he asked and the corner of her mouth twitched up into a small smile; she loved that the kids were always the first thing on his mind.

"Yep, dead to the world" she joked and he chuckled before a moment of silence passed between them.

"Look, Alicia, I'm sorry about earlier. Bringing all that out on you, all at once, it wasn't fair of me" Peter began again.

"No, Peter," she was quick to cut him off before he could apologize any more. "It's okay, I understand, I'm just… Not exactly sure where I'm at right now, if that makes sense?"

"Yeah, no, I know" he let out a short sigh into the phone. "I really screwed up" he admitted sadly and Alicia found herself speechless on the other end; unable to come up with any kind of response.

"Are you… are you still there?" Peter asked after a long moment of silence had passed.

"Yeah, I'm here" she offered quietly.

"We don't have to do this right now if you don't want to Alicia" he told her gently. "I'll wait, as long as it takes until you're ready"

"Guess I shouldn't have called if I have nothing to say huh?" she said half-jokingly, trying to ease some of the tension off.

"No, no, I'm glad you called. Even if you don't in fact have anything to say. We can just lie here and silently count the specks on our ceilings" he murmured into the phone and it made her laugh.

"There's that laugh again" he commented and she could tell by his tone that he was smiling on the other end of the line. "It's good to hear you laugh again. That night we had on the campaign bus a few months back, that was the most fun I've had in a long time"

"Me too" Alicia agreed with a hint of a smile crossing her lips as she recalled the memory. "Eli's such an easy target though" she smirked and he laughed.

"Too easy" he agreed. "You know speaking of the campaign trail," he continued a moment later. "We've got another trip out of town this weekend. Saturday, I think. Just an over-nighter, we'll be back Sunday afternoon but maybe you could come? You could ask Owen if he could stay with the kids for the night. I won't be working the entire time, it would give us a chance to talk some more" he suggested casually.

"Yeah, maybe" she replied hesitantly.

"Or, if you're not in the mood to talk we could always just hang out on the bus and throw spit balls at Eli…" he mentioned and she let out a hearty laugh.

"I think Saturday sounds fine. We should talk" she agreed and she heard Peter let out a sigh of content on the other end.

"Good, good. I'm looking forward to it"

"Well, I guess I should let you get back to sleep" Alicia mentioned as she turned to look at the digital clock on her bedside table.

"Okay, well again, I'm glad you called and I guess I'll see you Saturday?"

"See you Saturday" she confirmed. "Good night Peter"

"Good night Alicia"

She ended the call and placed the handset back in its cradle and let out a soft sigh as she buried herself deeper into the comforter and reached an arm out to turn off the bedside lamp; bathing the room in total darkness.

With her mind at least slightly more at ease, Alicia was able to fall into a peaceful slumber not long after she had ended her phone call with Peter, and for the first time in weeks she was able to sleep the whole night through; unlike the restless tossing-and-turning nights she'd been having recently from all the stress she had been enduring between her work life and family life.

* * *

The next morning Alicia headed into work shortly before nine a.m. She wouldn't be needed to help in court today but she couldn't see herself just sitting around the house all day either so she decided to come into the office and take a few hours to catch up on some paperwork that had been slowly building on the corner of her desk as this latest case had been taking up all of her time.

With the office so quiet and no Cary or any of the partners around to interrupt her Alicia seamlessly flew through her paperwork and had everything finished by the middle of the afternoon. Smiling proudly at the amount of work she was able to get done in such a short time Alicia decided that she'd reward herself by taking the rest of the afternoon off and surprise Zach and Grace by coming home early to spend time with them. So, with that thought in mind she grabbed her jacket and left the office; leaving Will a voicemail on her way out letting him know that she would be out of the office for the rest of the day but that he could call if anything urgent came up.

* * *

"Kids? … Owen?" Alicia called out as she entered the apartment a short time later. She found the three of them standing in what was left of her kitchen and she let out a gasp at the sight in front of her.

"What… are you guys doing?" She asked and the three of them exchanged glances but eventually Owen was the first to speak up.

"Hey Sis, you're uh… home early" he said nervously.

"Yeah, I wanted to surprise the kids…" she said slowly as she took a few steps further in the kitchen to assess the rest of the damage. There were dishes all over the countertops and stove, some sort of goo dribbling off the edge of the island and with every step she took there were crunching sounds under her feet.

"Well we wanted to surprise you too when you got home" Owen spoke up again. "So we're making Rice Krispie squares. …Surprise!"

Alicia smirked, then looked down to the floor to see that sure enough the crunching sound was little red and green puffs of rice under her feet. She looked between the three of them and shook her head in laughter.

"You guys know that Rice Krispie's are like the easiest thing to make ever right? How on earth did you manage to make this much mess?" she asked and they all shrugged in unison. "Well, it was very sweet of you nonetheless" she commented with a smile and got three in return.

"What are you doing home so early Mom?" Grace asked curiously.

"Short day today sweetie"

"So, you're home for the rest of the day?" Zach asked hopefully and it caused Alicia to smile again.

"Yep, you're stuck with me" she teased; coming around the kitchen island to wrap her arm around Zach's shoulders and pull him against her.

"Why don't we all do something?" Alicia suggested a moment later. "We could all watch a movie, or go shopping, whatever you guys want"

"Can we go ice skating?!" Grace asked excitedly and Alicia smirked but rolled her eyes at the suggestion.

"What, so you guys can watch me fall on my butt all day?" she teased and both Grace and Zach laughed.

"Come on Mom, it'll be fun, just like we used to do around Christmas time" Zach mentioned.

"Okay but only if your Uncle Owen comes along to help keep me upright" Alicia bargained; narrowing her eyes at her brother.

"Hmmm sorry Sis but no can do. I've got to get this mess cleaned up and then I have a ton of research to read up on for that lecture I'm giving next month" he said with a slight shrug.

Alicia sighed heavily then brought her attention back to her children. Zach just looked at her with an easy smile spread across his face while Grace adorned a perfect pout that she knew her mother was helpless to.

"Oh alright fine" Alicia threw up her hands in defeat. "Everybody get changed and we'll go. And make sure you dress warm!" she reminded them as they hurried off into their rooms.

"If I break any bones tonight I'm suing you, just so you know" Alicia threatened jokingly towards Owen who just smirked in response before extending a Rice Krispie treat out to her.

* * *

Zach and Grace emerged from their rooms a few minutes later; each of them ready to brave the cold Chicago winter with their extra layers, scarves, hats and gloves and Alicia smiled as she saw the bright smiles on their faces as they headed towards her at the door.

"Sure you don't want to borrow my ski pants Mom? At least they'll keep you dry" Zach teased and Alicia playfully shoved his shoulder.

"Just for that, you're buying the hot chocolate mister" Alicia countered before pulling his hat down over his eyes and causing both Zach and Grace to laugh.

"Come on, let's go"

* * *

A short while later the family vehicle pulled up in front of Millennium Park and the three of them gathered their skates and belongings and headed towards the ice rink. It was dusk by the time they had arrived and the beautiful Christmas lights and decorations lit up the entire park. As they approached the gate, chatting and laughing together as the kids told the store of Uncle Owen's attempt at baking, Alicia suddenly stopped in surprise as she noticed who was standing at the entrance way only a few feet ahead of them.

"Peter?" Alicia asked confused as Peter turned and headed towards them; closing the distance between the four of them. "What are you doing here?"

* * *

_A/N: Okay so there will obviously be at least one more chapter to this story, but I'm thinking possibly even 2 or 3 more. We'll see how well my muse co-operates. Reviews are greatly appreciated (and give the muse the kick in the pants it needs to keep this story up and running). So drop me a line, I'd love to hear what you think!_


	3. Chapter 3

**The Good Wife: The Itch**

**Chapter 3**

_A/N: This chapter goes out to my cheerleader, Josie, and all the A/P fans who can't stop talking about this Sunday's upcoming episode! Thanks for keeping me motivated! PS: Major fluff warning ahead, and my apologies for my lack of ability to write it well :/_**  
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* * *

"I invited him…" Zach said meekly with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "I texted him before we left the house… That's okay, right Mom?" he asked hopefully; looking over to a still slightly shell-shocked Alicia.

"Zach said somebody had to keep you on your feet" Peter teased and suddenly the smile had returned to Alicia's face as she slightly shook her head.

"You're not too busy?" Alicia asked after a moment.

"Early day at the office" Peter shrugged, giving Alicia a small smirk while the kids continued to stare at their parents; unsure of what may happen next.

"Well, come on let's get out there" Alicia said; easing the children's minds with an easy smile towards them.

Grace beamed as she ran towards her father and threw her arms around him in a hug and Zach simply smirked at his mother before putting one arm around her waist and began walking towards the ice rink entrance, following closely behind Peter and Grace.

Zach and Grace wasted no time in lacing up their skates and quickly making their way onto the ice while Peter and Alicia stayed behind for a moment; Alicia still struggling with getting the laces tight enough.

"Here, let me" Peter mentioned after witnessing Alicia's third failed attempt to get her skates secured enough for her liking.

"Well, make sure they're nice and tight. The last thing I need is a broken ankle" Alicia said, mildly annoyed at her own inability to tie her skates.

"Yes, I remember, tight enough to cut off all circulation to your foot. No wonder you can't skate" Peter teased and it garnered him a playful slap to his shoulder from Alicia.

"I can skate" she quickly defended.

"Okay, then let's see" Peter smirked as he finished tightening the second skate and placing her foot back on the ground.

Alicia glared up at her husband who simply laughed as he held his hand out to her to help steady herself as she stood.

Placing one hand in his and the other on his shoulder Alicia pulled herself up on shaky legs just outside the ice rink.

"You got it?" Peter asked as he took her hand that was holding onto his and brought it to rest on the ice rink wall so she could steady herself.

"Yep, piece of cake" Alicia shrugged as she placed her other hand on the wall and slowly shuffled herself sideways along the wall until she got to the opened gate where the ice rink began.

Taking a shaky step, Alicia slowly brought one foot over the threshold and onto the ice; still clutching onto the wall for dear life as she brought the other foot over as well. She shuffled slightly sideways, still holding the wall to allow Peter enough room to follow and he did; gliding out onto the ice with ease and circling back around to come to a stop beside her.

"You wanna let go of the wall now?" He asked, gently placing a hand on the small of her back and she quickly shook her head negatively.

"No"

It came out sounding whinier than she meant it to but Alicia had always been a terrible skater. Clearly the kids had gotten their skills from their father she thought as she looked up to see them a few yards away gliding seamlessly through the crowds.

"Look, there's Mom and Dad!" Grace had pointed out once they made eye contact and her and Zach quickly made their way over to their parents; Grace gracefully sliding to a stop beside her mother and Zach making an abrupt brake, showering his father with sprinkles of ice and snow from his skates as he did so.

"Zach, I hate it when you do that, it scares me every time" Alicia sighed but both Zach and Peter just laughed.

"C'mon Mom, let's go" Grace mentioned, launching herself backwards a few feet to give Alicia some space.

"You guys go ahead, I just need a minute to… get my bearings" Alicia replied, flashing them a quick smile.

"You sure Mom?" Zach asked.

"Yes honey, go on. But stay close to your sister okay?"

"Sure Mom" Zach nodded before motioning his head for Grace to follow as he began skating away.

"You can go too you know, I'm fine here for a minute" Alicia mentioned as Peter remained at her side. "Go have fun with the kids"

"What, and leave you here all night?" Peter scoffed at the notion.

"Not all night, I just need a minute"

Peter raised an eyebrow at her, knowing all too well that she wouldn't be letting go of that wall any time soon though he loved the fact that she came out anyway for her children's sake because they loved it so much.

"Okay, come on" Peter sighed, holding his hands out to her.

"Peter no, I can do it…" she said as she slowly removed both hands from the wall; knees wobbling slightly below her.

"See, I just-" before she could finish the sentence Alicia's shaking legs gave way and she nearly landed backwards on her backside before she felt strong arms circle around her and pull her back up, just inches before she hit the hard ice.

Her hands were clutched in the lapels of Peter's jacket and he was chuckling softly to himself as he held tightly around her waist and after the initial shock wore off Alicia too found herself laughing despite herself.

"I guess I haven't gotten any better at this have I?"

"Oh God no. Worse, if anything" Peter teased and Alicia lightly slapped his shoulder.

"Shut up and hold my hand" Alicia playfully commanded; holding out a shaky hand towards him. Peter simply grinned at her before lacing his fingers through hers and pulling her next to his side and she wrapped her free hand around his bicep for extra support.

"Just, go slow okay?" Alicia mentioned as she took a few small and uneasy steps forward on the ice.

"Slow and steady, got it" Peter nodded firmly as he glided ahead another foot or so.

"And stay close to the wall so I can grab onto it if I think I'm going to fall!"

"Yes dear" Peter sighed. He was rolling his eyes but she knew by the smirk on his face that he wasn't actually upset.

"And whatever you do-"

"Don't let go" Peter finished for her before she got the chance. "Don't worry, I won't. You'll have to cut my arm off first" he grinned and she smiled before gently nodding for him to continue leading them.

After what felt like days, they had finally made their first lap around the rink and Alicia was satisfied with herself that she had yet to take an ungraceful dive on the ice and Peter just seemed content to have his wife back on his arm again; regardless of the fact that she needed it in order to keep herself upright. They chatted a little as they slowly made progress around the rink, mostly about the kids and what they had been up to so far on their Christmas break. Talking seemed to keep Alicia's mind slightly more occupied so she wasn't so intent on watching her feet and doing herself more harm than good so Peter kept the conversation going and before long they were laughing and joking and Alicia hardly gave her feet a second glance; just moved effortlessly beside Peter as he guided them along the wall of the rink.

"It's all coming back to you right?" Peter asked proudly as Alicia's once death-like grip on his arm had loosened and they had even managed to pick up a little bit of speed.

"A little" Alicia shrugged; still slightly unsure of her abilities yet.

"Okay, I'm going to come around in front of you, but you can hold my hands okay?" Peter mentioned but Alicia was quick to shake her head.

"How Can I-" she began but Peter interrupted once more.

"I'm going to go backwards so I can face you and you can still hold on, okay?"

"Peter you can't! What if you hit someone!" Alicia gasped and Peter simply chuckled.

"I won't hit anyone" he assured her. "Trust me okay?" He asked as he pivoted around to face her; still holding one of her hands and holding out for the other one.

Alicia simply stared at him for a brief moment as his eyes searched hers for some sign of faith. She let out a breath before finally nodding in agreement and reaching out for his other hand and he began gliding backward, pulling her along with him.

They made it around the rink a few more times like this; Peter bringing up the speed slightly every time they made it all the way around and before long Alicia's nerves had settled and she was able to relax her body as he guided them effortlessly around the track and through the small crowds.

Zach and Grace had each passed them a few times and given their mother words of encouragement for still standing after all this time before continuing on on their own, with Zach always keeping a close distance to his sister as per his mother's request.

* * *

After about an hour had passed it seemed Zach and Grace had had enough physical activity for one evening and came looking for their parents; finding them seated on a bench on just the other side of the ice rink wall, hot chocolates already in hand.

"How'd she do?" Zach asked as he and Grace stepped through the small gate and headed towards the bench.

"Pretty good" Peter said with a small smile looking towards Alicia. "I've almost regained feeling in my hands and arm again" He joked and Alicia nudged into his shoulder with hers.

"I think I did pretty well" Alicia stated matter-of-factly.

"You did great Mom" Grace beamed towards her mother. "Good thing Dad was here though, Uncle Owen probably would've ditched you after five minutes"

"Aint that the truth" Alicia huffed with a roll of her eyes.

"Here, you guys need some money for hot chocolate?" Peter asked Zach; reaching into his back pocket for his wallet.

Grace looked to her brother and Zach turned back to his parents before answering. "Actually, Grace and I were just saying we're hungry. You know, since Uncle Owen made us Rice Krispie Squares for dinner" he smirked and Alicia smiled but shook her head.

"Maybe we could all go to dinner?" Grace asked shyly, looking between her two parents. Peter simply turned to Alicia and raised an eyebrow at her, silently letting her know that he was okay with it if she was. He never wanted to make her look like the bad guy by him saying yes to the kids if she wanted to say no, so in situations like these he would always give her the opportunity to answer first and he would simply back her up on whatever she decided.

Alicia seemed to mull it over for a minute before turning back to Peter with the slightest hint of a smile twitching at her lips. "Are you hungry?" she asked and three faces lit up with smiles before her and she knew she'd made the right decision.

* * *

After a great meal at their favourite Italian restaurant Peter drove them all back to the park to bring them back to where Alicia's car still remained.

"Can I drive Mom?" Zach had asked as they all walked towards the car together.

"Sure" Alicia obliged; handing Zach the keys before he ran off towards the car. "Zach!" Alicia called out and he stopped and spun himself back around towards her.

"Say goodbye to your father please" she politely reminded him.

"Right, sorry Dad" Zach chuckled before jogging back towards them and throwing his arms around his father for a quick hug. "Thanks for dinner, and thanks for coming"

"Thanks for inviting me" Peter smiled back at his son before giving his hair a quick tousle. "Now go on and warm up the car"

"Kay" Zach nodded and headed back towards the car.

"I'm glad you came Dad" Grace smiled at her father before he pulled her against him and she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Me too sweetie" he mumbled into her hair before placing a quick kiss on the top of her head. "Be good for your Mom and Uncle Owen okay?"

"I will Dad" she assured him before letting go and skipping off to the car to climb into the back seat.

Peter and Alicia both stopped at the trunk of the car and turned to face each other to say their goodbyes.

"I had fun" Peter smiled genuinely at her.

"Me too" Alicia nodded.

"So we're still on for Saturday right?"

"Yep. Owen said he can stay with the kids"

"Okay, I guess I'll see you Saturday then…" Peter mentioned; rocking back and forth on his heels in front of her.

"Yeah, Saturday" Alicia confirmed; biting her lip before staring down at the ground to avoid his gaze.

An eternity seemed to pass by before Peter had spoke again; not wanting the perfect evening to come to an end.

"God I want to kiss you so badly right now" Peter sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Peter we can't" Alicia quickly shook her head.

"I know, the kids"

"I just don't want to-"

"Alicia, it's okay" Peter interrupted. "I know. I don't want to confuse them either. I think we're confused enough" he said with smirk and she nodded in agreement.

"Can we compromise on a hug?" He asked after a moment of silence passed between them and she finally looked back up at him with a hint of a smile crossing her lips.

"Yeah" she agreed before he pulled her against him and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'll miss you" he whispered against her ear and Alicia loosened her hold on him and took a small step back; not trusting herself in his arms much longer.

"I'll see you Saturday" she smiled at him before turning away and heading for the passenger door.

"Good night" he called after her with a wave.

"Night"

* * *

_A/N: Wow, fluff overdose right? Well, this is about as fluffy as I usually get anyway :P I'm more an angst writer so this chapter seemed to take me forever to write. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it and it wasn't too lame. In the next chapter we will get to see them together on the campaign trail! Reviews are love! xx_


	4. Chapter 4

**The Good Wife: The Itch**

**Chapter 4**

_A/N: Forgive me in advance for my lack of knowledge on United States geography. I'm basically just making most of this up with some minor help from Wikipedia. _

* * *

A small smile crossed Alicia's lips as she looked up at the clock on her office wall to see that it was nearly 5pm on Friday and soon she'd be off for the entire weekend; a luxury that didn't often afford itself to her. This weekend however she knew she would be out of town and had made arrangements ahead of time with Will and Dianne that she would be unavailable to be on-call but that Cary would be if needed. She couldn't remember the last time she had a weekend free of work-related stress but with every minute the clock struck closer to 5 she realized whenever it was it was entirely too long ago.

She was in the home stretch now, had finished up the last few case file documents she had been working on and was in the midst of packing up her briefcase, a smile playing on her lips as she daydreamed about the possibility of what this weekend had in store for her when suddenly her desk phone rang and startled her out of her reverie.

Alicia glared at the phone, as if doing so would cause it to cease its ringing but unfortunately for her it did no such thing. Cary looked over to her from his adjacent desk and smirked at her obvious annoyance to the offending device.

"Go on, get out of here. I'll get it and say you've left for the weekend" Cary offered with a slight shrug of his shoulder.

She smiled sweetly at him. She'd be lying if she said it wasn't nice to have him back.

"It's okay Cary" Alicia insisted, reaching for the phone.

"Hello?" She answered, knowing by the line that was lit up on the phone that it was just her assistant that was ringing her.

"_Hi Mrs. Florrick, sorry to bother you but Mr. Gold says he needs to see you in his office"_

Alicia let out an audible groan and looked up and across the hallway sure enough to see Eli leaning against his desk, facing her and signalling her over with a wave of his hand.

"Thank you" she spoke into the phone with a hint of mild annoyance in her tone. Not towards her assistant of course, but to the man who is possibly about to ruin what could've been a great weekend.

"What's up?" Cary asked; noting Alicia's change of mood as she placed the phone back on the receiver with a light huff.

"Hopefully nothing, but it's Eli so I'm sure to him the sky is falling somewhere" she grumbled before taking her leave from their shared office and heading across the hall.

"Alicia, hi" Eli greeted, cordially as always. And as always, Alicia had no idea what his demeanour was saying to her. His poker face could be bested by no one.

"Hi…" She offered cautiously as she noticed the newspaper clutched in his hand. "Is something wrong?"

"Had a busy day, just got back to the office to talk to you about this now" he said, nodding his head towards the newspaper in his hand. "It seems you and Peter have made the papers again" he said evenly.

Alicia felt her throat drop to the pit of her stomach. What in God's name had happened now? Today had gone so well, of course Eli would have to rain on her parade.

Her mind went to a thousand places all at once. What could possibly be newsworthy about them now? _Another scandal?_ Involving her? Involving _him_? Alicia quickly shook her head at the notion. Peter wouldn't do that to her. Not _again_ anyway. Not after everything they've gone through. He had made promises to her and their family, and she believed him.

Suddenly all the thoughts running through her mind came to a stand-still as she realized what she had just admitted to herself. She was beginning to trust in him again. Maybe not completely, or undoubtedly so, but there was certainly progress made. For the first time in years she had his back and wasn't immediately fearing the worst in him. Peter _has_ changed, that much she has accepted. Whether or not it's enough, well, that was something she would have to work through on her own.

Suddenly a small smile crossed her lips and she looked up at Eli, ready to hear whatever ridiculous thing he had to say.

"What is it Eli?" she asked calmly and watched as a sly grin spread across Eli's lips. It was unnerving to say the least. She was used to angry Eli, and over-dramatic Eli sure; but this Eli? No, this look was definitely new.

"It's gold Alicia" he answered simply.

"Oh…" Alicia stared at him for a brief moment rather puzzled. "Sorry, what is it _Mr. Gold_" she corrected. He was her boss after all, and they had had this 'boundary' discussion already but she thought that they had moved past that and that they were finally beginning to work well together again.

"What? Oh, no, that's not what I meant" Eli quickly shook his head and Alicia felt a small wave a relief wash over her, glad she hadn't made the same mistake twice.

"I mean the article, it's pure gold" he continued a moment later, grinning as he passed her the paper. Alicia unfolded it to see a large picture in the centre of the page of her and Peter from their ice skating endeavour the previous evening. The picture had been snapped right after Alicia's near wipe-out on the ice; showing Peter with his arms wrapped around her, their faces only inches apart and both laughing and smiling with a headline above it that read _'Christmas With The Florricks?'_. Her eyes only skimmed over the article, but the words 'canoodling' and 'romantic' had popped in once or twice and it read more like a Page Six item rather than front page news but Alicia chalked it up to it likely being a slow day for news or maybe a reporter that Eli had in his pocket. _The latter was certainly more likely_, she mused inwardly. To an untrained eye they appeared the picture-perfect couple and though it was easily far from the truth, Alicia couldn't help as the corners of her lips curved up into a smile.

"One of our trackers got it" Eli began again after a moment of gauging her reaction. "Yes, sometimes our trackers follow you guys as well, just to keep an eye out for our competitor's trackers. One of Grace's friends had seen her at the park and tagged her as being there on their facebook. Kids these days" Eli said with a sigh. "They make it next to no challenge at all to stalk them"

"Well that's comforting Eli" Alicia deadpanned and Eli simply shrugged his shoulders.

"In this case it worked in our favour so it's hard for me to pretend to be upset about it" He stated matter-of-factly. "Do you have any idea how great this is for us? Kresteva is going to be pissed when he sees Peter's approval rating sky rocket after this. Actually, that's why I wanted to speak with you"

Alicia sighed. Of course Eli already had his wheels spinning on how this could potentially be turned into a nightmare for all of them.

"Okay, let's hear it"

"Well, you'll see when you read the article, but it's basically painting the picture of what is your now perfect marriage. Their words, not mine" Eli quickly defended when he saw the look of disbelief on Alicia's face. "Anyway, Kresteva is going to want to pounce all over that and try and prove that your marriage is anything but perfect. So, we need to… _prepare _for that" Eli said cautiously.

"Just get on with it and tell me what you need Eli" Alicia sighed. She hated these political games but she was still bitter towards Mike Kresteva and his defamation towards her so she vowed to make herself part of the mission to ensure he doesn't get elected Governor of Illinois.

"Well, Peter informed me that you're coming on the trip this weekend to Belleville"

"Yes" Alicia nodded.

"Well, we can expect Kresteva's trackers to be tailing us so I can't stress enough the importance of image on this trip. They'll pick up on anything they can to spin that image into a negative one"

"Eli, just say whatever it is you're trying to say" Alicia sighed. She could tell he was dancing around trying to tell her something she may potentially not want to hear and she just wasn't in the mood right now.

"I can't have you guys standing united together at the podium and then book you separate hotel rooms" he admitted quickly in one long breath. "It looks bad, Alicia" he finished calmly.

"Oh…" Was all Alicia could manage at the moment. Peter had been very clear with Eli from the beginning on Alicia's wishes for her involvement in the campaign. She would stand beside him when the cameras were flashing, and hold his hand, but their private life was just that, private. They weren't to speak of their living arrangements, and wouldn't admit either way if they were living under the same roof or not. On the campaign trail Alicia held the right to refuse to attend any event she wanted and if an overnight stay was required she would be given her own room. Eli would have agreed to nearly anything that was stipulated; knowing that having Alicia in their corner was the backbone of their entire campaign. Peter needed her, and therefore Eli needed her.

"I'm sorry, I know I said I wouldn't put this kind of pressure on you, so if you want you can have my room. I'll be in the room next to Peter's. I can leave the passage door unlocked so you can get through without being seen by anyone who might be watching the floor. I'll… sleep on the bus or something" he said with a slight shrug of indifference.

"Eli, it's okay" Alicia said after a moment to think about it. "But I appreciate the gesture" she offered genuinely. For all the grief he caused her, she knew deep down he cared for and respected her.

"Are you sure?" Eli asked in mild disbelief.

"Yes" she eased his mind with an easy smile. "It's fine. Peter and I are adults, we can come to an arrangement"

"I'll make sure you have a suite with a sofa" Eli nodded.

It was terribly humiliating to be having this type of conversation with him, but ever the professional Eli managed to ease much of that discomfort in the way he spoke to her; light and well-mannered and withholding of all judgement; as if he's had the same conversation hundreds of times and it was simply his job to say and think of these things.

"Thank you Eli" she gave him a small but genuine smile and he nodded.

"Anytime. I'll see you on the bus in the morning"

"See you then" she agreed before taking her leave from his office and heading back to her own to finish gathering her things.

* * *

Saturday morning came all too quickly for Alicia who was still collecting all her last minute toiletries up when she heard a knock at the front door.

"Coming!" she called out from her bathroom as she threw the last few remaining items into her suitcase and pulled the zipper shut.

"Hey" Peter greeted her with a warm smile as she opened the front door to see him standing on the other side. "You all set?"

"Yeah I think I have everything"

"Kids up yet?" He asked, peering over her shoulder to look inside.

"Still asleep" she shrugged. "I didn't want to wake them"

"Oh, it's fine, just thought I'd say hi if they were up. Can I take your bag?"

"Sure, thank you" Alicia smiled, stepping aside so Peter could grab her overnight bag for her.

Alicia stopped to take one final look around; doing a mental check that she didn't in fact forget anything before finally turning back to Peter and giving him a quick nod to let him know she was ready and he headed towards the elevator with Alicia following closely behind him.

* * *

Alicia could hardly believe that six hours had passed them by when they finally made it to their destination of Belleville, Illinois. It turned out that Peter was great company on a road trip. They had spent the first hour or so going over Peter's speech; at the insistence of Eli; but from then on it was just casual conversation flowing between the two of them seamlessly. They talked briefly about work, both Peter's and Alicia's, but mostly about the kids and other things that were going on in their lives such as Peter's most recent renovations to their old family home and what else he had planned for it. Alicia talked about how nice it was for her to have Owen around more often and what a great help he'd been with the kids over their break from school.

"Eli told me about the hotel situation by the way" Peter mentioned quietly as they approached the event location. "I'm sorry I know that wasn't-"

"Peter it's okay" Alicia offered with a small smile. "We talked about it, I understand. I told you from the beginning that I am supporting you on the campaign, I wouldn't want to hinder it in any way"

"Thank you" he said with a genuine smile. "And your support means a lot to me. I couldn't do this without you. I _wouldn't_ have done this without you"

Alicia simply smiled in return before letting her hand fall on top of his and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Peter, you ready?"

Eli's voice quickly caught their attention as he stood at the front of the bus and they realized they had in fact arrived. Peter gave a quick glance over to Alicia who merely nodded once and smiled.

"We're ready" Peter confirmed as he stood and held his hand out to Alicia. Standing up Alicia took Peter's hand, lacing their fingers together and leaned up to give him a quick kiss to his cheek.

"Good luck" she whispered against his skin and she could feel his smile grow wide before he led them off of the bus and into the sea of flashing cameras and persistent reporters.

* * *

It was well after dark before Alicia and Peter finally got to their hotel room. After the various speeches and meet-and-greets were held Eli insisted on the whole lot of them going to dinner in the restaurant hotel to debrief and of course, discuss more strategy. Alicia was glad to see when she entered the room that someone had taken the liberty of bringing the luggage to their room because the last thing she wanted to do was go back downstairs.

"Long day huh?" Peter mentioned as he closed the door behind them and tossed his suit jacket over a nearby chair.

"I don't know where you and Eli get the energy to do this all the time" she commented as she dropped herself onto the sofa and began to take off her shoes; instantly heaving a sigh of relief as the first heel slid off her foot and she ran her hands over it to soothe the dull throbbing.

"How about some wine?" Peter asked, walking toward the mini bar.

"Sounds perfect" Alicia agreed, the second shoe already removed and tossed carelessly on the carpet to join the other.

"Hmmm, no wine glasses, just these" Peter mentioned, holding up two crystal tumblers he found sitting next to the ice bucket.

"It's fine" Alicia offered an easy smile. She'd drink it out of a boot at this point. It turned out that fifteen hours straight with campaign-mode-Eli was more than any one person should ever have to endure.

Peter poured two glasses and walked over to join Alicia on the sofa; handing her one of the glasses as he took a seat next to her and leaned back into the plush leather.

"So…" he began cautiously, studying her body language for a moment. Alicia was seated on the edge of the sofa, glass firmly gripped between both her hands as her right index finger drew random patterns on the side of the glass. She was nervous, maybe even uncomfortable. Peter could sense that immediately and decided he would leave it up to her to address the elephant in the room and in the meantime he could find other things to talk about with her until she felt more settled.

"What did you think about today? You weren't too bored I hope"

Alicia turned to him and offered a small smile. "No, it was great actually. I enjoyed myself"

"Good, good" Peter nodded. "It's nice having you here. Eli actually gives me a break every once and a while. You should come along more often" he said with a smirk and Alicia chuckled.

"We'll see" she shrugged, a smile still playing on her lips.

"Are you tired?"

"Exhausted" she sighed with a roll of her eyes. "Like I said, I don't know how you do this all the time"

Peter merely shrugged. "You get used to it I guess. Did you want to go to sleep, or…?" Peter asked tentatively but Alicia gently shook her head.

"No, I'm okay for a while. Think I'm too wound from the day to actually fall asleep just yet" she shrugged.

"Okay, well I thought I'd call the kids and check in if that's alright?"

She smiled warmly at him. "Of course it's alright"

"Great. I'll put it on speaker" he smiled back at her before reaching to the coffee table for his cell phone and quickly dialing Alicia's home number.

"Hellooooo?" Owen answered; drawing out his greeting and Peter gently nudged Alicia, signalling her to talk to Owen instead and she rolled her eyes though her lips twitched into the smallest of smirks. After all these years Peter and Owen couldn't even manage to be civil to each other over the phone, apparently some things never changed.

"Hi Owen" Alicia greeted her brother. "How's it going there?"

"Why what have you heard? They're lying" came Owen's immediate response and Alicia shook her head at his silliness. "No, everything is fine here. You don't need to worry so much you know" he assured her.

"Peter and I just called to say hi to the kids. Are they still up?"

"Uh, yeah… sure, just a second" Owen seemed to hesitate for a moment; seemingly off guard that Alicia and Peter were still together at this time at night. "Kids!" she could hear him yell in the background. "Your Mom's on the phone"

They heard footsteps, followed by some muffled sounds of the phone being passed until finally Grace's sleepy voice filled their hotel room.

"Hi Mom" she yawned into the phone. "How's your trip?"

"Great sweetie. Dad's here too, he wants to say hi"

"Oh, hi Dad" Grace said, her voice lighting up notably as it always did when she spoke to her father. She would forever be _Daddy's Little Girl_ Alicia thought to herself.

"Hi Grace" Peter smiled brightly. "You sound like you're half asleep, did we wake you up?"

"No, Zach and I were watching a movie with Uncle Owen and I guess I'm just more tired than I thought"

"Oh yeah? What movie?"

"Land of the-"

"Land Before Time!" Zach quickly interrupted, grabbing the phone from his sister.

"Zach…" Peter groaned into the phone. "You guys haven't watched those movies since Grace was in diapers. Was Uncle Owen showing you zombie movies again?"

"Ummm…" Zach hesitated on the other end and Peter just looked to Alicia and gave her a sarcastic eye roll.

"Okay well I think it's time your sister went to bed. You can finish the movie with Owen afterwards, alright?"

"Okay Dad" Zach quickly agreed.

"Alright well we just wanted to check in and say hi and, well, goodnight now I guess. Please make sure your sister gets to bed, it's late"

"Yeah I will, goodnight Dad" Zach offered.

"Goodnight Zach, Goodnight Grace!" Alicia called out softly.

"Night Mom" Zach answered before passing the phone off to his sister.

"Goodnight Mom, night Dad" Grace smiled into the phone.

"Night sweetie. And tell Uncle Owen no more scary movies before bed alright?" Alicia warned gently.

"Okay Mom…" Grace agreed guiltily.

"Bye sweetie" Peter offered.

"Bye" they heard before Grace hung up and Peter returned the phone to the coffee table.

"Zombies huh?" Peter asked of Alicia, raising his eyebrows at her.

"No worse than the time you took Zach to see that Texas Chainsaw whatever movie" Alicia said with a shake of her head at the memory. "Zach had nightmares for two days afterwards!"

"Well he was going to sneak in to see it with his friends regardless so I figured if he's going to see that crap then it should be with me. It worked didn't it? He went four years before he ever watched another horror movie, and by that time he was actually old enough"

Alicia simply shrugged. He was right, it had worked. Zach had sworn off horror movies until recently.

"Even still, let's _not_ have Owen attempt to apply the same methods with Grace"

"That we can agree on" Peter quickly assured her. "More wine?"

"Hmmm" Alicia hesitated for a moment, tilting her head to the side. "What time do we have to get up in the morning?"

"Seven, maybe seven thirty if Eli decides to be nice"

"Ugh" Alicia groaned, falling back into the cushions. "It's already nearly midnight. Maybe we should get some sleep"

"Sure, if that's what you want to do" Peter gave her a small smile as he leaned forward on the sofa and placed his glass down on the table, then did the same for Alicia. "I'm going to grab a quick shower, unless you wanted to?" Peter asked, standing from the sofa.

"No, you go ahead, I'm fine. I'll just brush my teeth first if that's alright?"

"Of course"

As per her nightly ritual Alicia washed the make-up off her face and spread some moisturizer on before finally brushing her teeth and then her hair. Satisfied that aside from being in her pyjamas she was ready for bed, she took her leave from the bathroom and let Peter go in.

Walking over to the bed Alicia pulled out her suitcase and opened it up. She stared at the garments inside for what seemed like an eternity. She was only staying for one night but for some reason deemed it completely necessary to pack four different types of pyjamas. She didn't want to give out the wrong impression so the silk nightgown was quickly out of the equation but she still had far too many choices. Finally deciding on a pair of cotton shorts and a black camisole Alicia closed her suitcase and pulled back the blankets, crawling into the cool white sheets of the king sized bed.

She lay there staring at the ceiling, half willing herself to fall asleep so that she wouldn't have to endure the inevitably awkward moment when Peter walked out of the bathroom and having to decide where to go to sleep, and the other half not being able to shut her mind off about all the things they planned on talking about during this trip. _It was now or never_, she thought to herself. Once they went to sleep Eli would be by to rouse them first thing in the morning and they'd be back on the campaign bus headed for home. She felt she'd somehow be cheating him if she didn't allow this conversation happen that they agreed upon to, though at the moment she had no idea how that conversation would go. The simple thought of it was the fighting force that kept her awake.

Peter had emerged from the bathroom not long afterwards. Hair still damp from the shower but otherwise perfectly in place, and he wore a simple pair of grey pyjama bottoms and a white t-shirt.

"You're still awake" he noted as he stepped further into the room. The soft glow of the moonlight peering through the curtains bathed the room in a subtle darkness but he could still see her eyes on him as he moved.

"Yeah, I…" Alicia hesitated for a moment. _Now or never_, she reminded herself. "I thought I'd wait for you, I know we said we'd talk this weekend, so I just thought…"

"Okay" Peter nodded before slowly making his way over towards the bed. The sofa faced away from the bed so logically speaking, Alicia realized there was no other way for them to have this conversation without him joining her and although the initial thought worried her slightly, all that seemed to float away the moment he eased himself in next to her and gave her an easy smile. How he still had this calming effect on her with a single look after all this time was beyond her. She returned his smile with one of her own and propped herself up on her elbow so she was facing him.

"So where do we start?" Alicia asked; not knowing the answer herself but hoping that Peter might.

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_A/N: Sorry to cut you off here folks but this chapter was starting to get a little long and I decided it was time for a chapter break. I know there's not too much happening here, but the next chapter will hopefully hold a lot more for you. Thanks for reading, and of course reviews are always greatly appreciated! Oh, and for those who haven't seen it yet, I've posted a new A/P video on youtube. This site doesn't allow me to post links, but if you type "Peter/Alicia Only Shadows" in the YT search bar, it'll be the first video that comes up ;) Look forward to hearing your thoughts on this update :)  
_


	5. Chapter 5

**The Good Wife: The Itch**

**Chapter 5**

_A/N: Your reviews are all so gracious and kind and keep me motivated to keep going. I'm so glad so many of you are enjoying this story! Hopefully this chapter isn't a let-down… It's significantly shorter than the last one but I felt I said all that needed to be said here. Anyway, onward and enjoy…_

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"So where do we start?" Alicia asked; not knowing the answer herself but hoping that Peter might.

Peter lay on his back with his arms folded behind his head and staring up at the ceiling as he attempted to gather his thoughts. In the large bed there was easily enough distance between them to fit two or three more bodies and Peter sighed as he thought of the irony. How there had always been more people involved in their marriage than ever should have been. Though he had to accept some, if not _most,_ of the blame in that as well.

"Well for starters, this-" he signaled between the two of them with a wave of his hand, "is a problem for me"

"What is?" Alicia asked slightly confused.

"The fact that I can be so close to you but feel so far apart at the same time" he told her as he turned on his side to face her.

"Peter I told you I-" she began to defend herself but Peter cut her off.

"I know, you're not ready yet, and I get that. I understand. But the line has just gotten so… blurred, recently and it's hard for me to keep my emotions separate from what we've got going on here, do you know what I mean?" he asked and she slowly nodded.

"I know. It's hard for me too. I think about you… all the time Peter" she admitted sincerely, almost sadly if he wasn't mistaken.

"You do?" Peter's voice seemed to brighten up at that and Alicia giggled softly.

"Yes" she confirmed, placing her hand down to rest on the mattress space between them, picking at an imaginary loose thread in the cotton sheets. Anything to keep her gaze concentrated anywhere but in his eyes as she didn't fully trust herself to be able to say everything she wanted to if he kept looking at her like that; like there was still twenty years worth of love in his eyes.

"I think about you all the time too" he told her genuinely as he shifted slightly closer to her and let his hand fall on top of hers.

She swallowed the dry lump in her throat. This might be harder than she thought.

She finally looked up to meet his gaze and saw the soft smile playing on his lips. It took all her control not to bring her hand up and run it through his hair like she had easily done hundreds of times before when they'd lay in bed together like this. She loved the smell of him after a shower. His own particular scent that was a mixture of citrus shampoo, masculine soap, a dusting of aftershave, and something uniquely Peter. Back before her world was taken out from under her they used to lay together like this. He would usually get home late from work and find her already in bed. He'd shower before coming to join her and as they lay there talking about their day she would always turn to him before they went to sleep and run a hand through his still dampened hair, then to the smooth skin of his freshly shaved cheek before bringing him in for a quick but sweet goodnight kiss. Her lips involuntarily twitched upwards into a small smile as she reflected back on the memory.

They lay there for a few more moments of silence, Peter drawing lazy patterns against the back of her hand with his finger and just staring into each others eyes. He wished he could hold onto this moment forever. Spend every night with her like this though he knew that was anything but feasible at the moment. Still, he could enjoy it while it lasted.

"Still, that doesn't un-complicate our situation" Alicia began again a moment later finding her voice again and Peter frowned slightly, though he knew she was right.

"I know" he sighed heavily.

"It's easy for us to feel great about everything 'in the moment'. I mean, being in the moment is kind of our thing" she said with a small smirk. "But this isn't just about us, or our moments. This is our lives, our family, our children, our careers. There's a lot to consider here"

"Yeah, I've actually been thinking a lot about that" Peter mentioned, his gaze now fixed on their hands that lay joined between them. "I wasn't implying that us getting back together is going to be easy and a quick fix to everything that's happened in our past or even what our future holds. I know that there is a lot of work to put in, but I want to make the effort with you. I'll do whatever it takes Alicia. I'll go to counseling, I'll sell the house, I'll keep the house if that's what you wanted" he amended with a light shrug. "If you're worried about what would happen to us or your career if I were elected governor I'll call Eli right now and drop out of the race" he mentioned with an air of indifference.

"Peter" she gasped in surprise.

"I mean it" he quickly assured her, inching closer still and closing more of the distance between them.

"If me winning the election and having to move to Springfield means losing you and the kids… I wouldn't even have to think twice about what I'd choose. My job is my job, but you and the kids… you're my life" He told her sincerely, his eyes never leaving hers.

Alicia remained silent and still as a single tear escaped her and slowly rolled down her cheek, the words consuming her every thought as she realized she had always felt the exact same way. True, as Peter mentioned, the lines may have gotten blurred now and then, but when it came down to it his words put everything into perfect perspective and she couldn't argue that.

Peter frowned slightly and scooted over a little closer to her until they were only inches apart, taking his hand away from hers to wipe away the tear with the pad of his thumb.

"Please don't cry sweetheart" he whispered quietly, his tone so sincere and loving that it nearly broke her. Alicia couldn't hold back the stream of tears that followed and Peter quickly gathered her in his arms and pulled her close against his chest as her arms wrapped around him and held on tightly to all the comfort he offered her.

Something in his voice the way he spoke to her now, Alicia couldn't deny it any longer. She knew now that he did in fact love her and it hit her like a ton of bricks when she realized she never stopped loving him either and suddenly all the walls around her that she had built up came crumbling down in a matter of moments. When he held her in his arms she wished they could stay like that forever; safe in their little cocoon, away from the press and the campaign and their jobs and just the world in general. These past few months whenever she was with him everything had felt right again and it scared her, but she was kidding herself if she really thought they could just go on like this forever. It wasn't just him who wanted more from her; she just wasn't ready to admit it to him or even to herself.

"Alicia I love you so much" he whispered against her hair before placing a kiss there. "I will never hurt you again, you have to believe me"

"I do…" he heard her mumble against his shirt.

"You… you do?" He asked to clarify, pulling her back slightly so he could see into her eyes that were now moist from tears.

"Yes Peter" she confirmed quietly. "I know you've changed. It doesn't fix everything but… I think it's a start. I'd like it to be the start" she told him with a small smile as she wiped away the last few remaining tears.

Peter stared at her for a brief moment. He knew they wouldn't walk out of this hotel room in the morning a perfectly happy reconciled couple, but if she was willing to admit that this was a start, that said to him that their ending wasn't finished yet and it was all he needed to hear in that moment.

Not being able to help himself any longer he leaned down to her and drew her in, his lips crashing against hers. Pouring every thought in his heart and every word he couldn't say into the searing kiss Peter realized he hadn't felt this connected to his wife in years and it wasn't something he ever wanted to forget again. Alicia's hands came up to rest on his cheeks as she held him as close as possible, returning the kiss with equal physical emotion.

When the need for oxygen overcame them both Peter ended the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers; their ragged breaths mixing between them in the aftermath of what was arguably the greatest kiss they had ever shared.

"You're amazing" he told her and she smiled.

"You can't give up the race" she told him calmly and he furrowed his brow, looking at her rather confused.

"Really?" he asked to clarify.

"I think it's… pre-mature of us to put this kind of pressure on ourselves when we don't even know what the outcome will be. Maybe you won't even win, but I would hate that you gave up your chance for what you've worked so long and so hard for for a hypothetical situation. Besides that you'd be giving up on your dream for me, and I know you say you want to, but I couldn't live with myself knowing what a huge sacrifice I caused you. And if, heaven forbid, Kresteva won? I think we'd both resent me" she said with a small smirk and it caused Peter to let out a soft chuckle before she continued again.

"What I'm saying is, whatever hurdles come our way we should just tackle them one at a time. _Together_" she finished with a genuine smile.

"So, what exactly does this mean for us?" Peter asked just to clarify he wasn't reading more into this than he should.

"It means… we're trying. Working things out" she mentioned with a small shrug. "I'm not ready for us to move back in together, but I do think we should spend more time together and… maybe even involve the kids"

"Are you sure?" Peter asked cautiously. This was a huge step for her, but he felt genuine relief because he knew it meant she was serious.

"We've been… pretending for a long time Peter. I think it's time we gave it a real shot and we can't do that if we're sneaking around behind our children's backs and lying to the people we care about"

"Alicia, you have no idea what this means to me" Peter told her sincerely before taking her hand in his and bringing it up his lips to place a kiss on her smooth skin.

"Actually, I do" she mentioned with a sly grin playing on her lips and Peter raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "Because it means everything to me too" she finished and the smile Peter gave her practically lit up the entire room.

Alicia brought her hand up to smooth through his hair before pulling him down towards her for a sweet and gentle kiss, savouring the moment between them. The kiss was quick, like a habit and Peter grinned against her lips. He could certainly get used to this again.

"Well, I know you're exhausted" he said after a few moments of silence had passed between them. "What do you say we get some sleep?"

"Let's" Alicia smiled up at him before snuggling herself into his side. Peter draped his arm around her and held her closely against him, a smile still playing on his lips as he stared up at the ceiling.

Finally, he had his wife in his arms again. Only this time, he'd never let her go.

**~END~**

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_A/N: Well folks, I hope this lived up to at least some of your expectations and didn't disappoint. This will be the final piece of this fic (hey, don't complain, you got an extra 4 chapters out of me :P) but not to worry, I'm sure I'll write more for this fandom, and these two in particular. Until next time…_

_xo, Randi.  
_


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